The lights went out on a statewide geothermal energy project with the
settlement of a lawsuit announced Thursday 2-16-95. Twelve
environmental organizations, represented by the Sierra Club legal
Defense Fund, sued the state in 1991, claiming a state plan to develop
500 megawatts of geothermal energy on the big island for transport to
Oahu was being carried out without the proper environental studies.
Trial in the case was expected to begin this week and both sides said
they expected to win. State Deputy Attorney General Rick Eichor said
the state's project did not require the environmental studies. In the
settlement agreement the state conceded it has no present or proposed
plans to revive the geothermal project.